Self-driving cars to be 9% of auto sales in 2035: Study

Tuesday, 31 Dec 2013 | 3:52 PM ETReuters

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A Google self-driver at company headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

Sales of vehicles able to drive themselves will account for about 9 percent of global auto sales in about two decades, according to a forecast published on Tuesday by auto industry consultant IHS Automotive.

The study focused on autonomous cars, which can drive with "no attention needed by the driver,'' IHS analyst Egil Juliussen said. Such cars are not currently available for sale, but IHS predicts they will hit the market around 2025.

IHS expects global sales of self-driving cars in 2025 to be 230,000—less than 1 percent of the 115 million cars expected to be sold that year.